text: THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING {Illustrated page described: This page facing page 95 is quartered and bordered by solid black lines into four British-style astrological charts. These are represented below in the sequence top left, top right, bottom left and finally, bottom right: 14 Taurus 4 Aries 6 Pisces XI X IX .----------------------------------------. : \ /\ / : : \ / \ / : : \ / \ Moon20 / : : \ /Neptune 28 \ / : 27 Gemini XII: \ / 7 Caput Drac. \ /Saturn19.30:VIII 16 Aquarius Cancer : / \.-------------. / \ Rx : : / :Natus Sanctus: \ : : / : Edwardus : \ : : / : Alexander : \ : 0.3 Leo I : / :Crowley or : \ : : \ : DE KERWAL : /: VII 0.3 Aquarius : \ : LEAMINGTON : / : Capricorn : \ : 10.52. P.M. : / : : \ :12.10.75 E.V.: / : 16 Leo II : \ /.-------------. \ / : :Uranus19 / \ Sun19 7Jupiter /\ Mars 22 : VI 27 Sagittarius : / \Cauda Draco.7 / \ Capricorn: : / \Mercury13.20/ \ : : / \ 24 / \ : : / \ Venus/ \ : : / \ / \ : .----------------------------------------. III IV V 6 Virgo 4 Libra 14 Scorpio THE NATIVITY OF FRA. P. 26 Pisces 25 Aquarius 4 Aquarius Aries XI X IX .----------------------------------------. : \ /\ / : : \ / \ /Moon: : \ / \ /0 Aquar: : \ / \ / : 14 Taurus XII:Neptune 24./ \ / 24 : VIII16 Capricorn :Gemini / \.-------------. / \Caput Drac: : / : LONDON : \ : Gemini : / : : \ : : / : M.M.Hall : \ : 0.22Cancer I : / : : \ : : \ : 6 P.M. : /: VII 0.22 Capricorn : \ : : / : : \ : 18 NOVEMBER : /16.0: Sagittarius : 24 \ : 1898 E.V. : /Venus : 16 Cancer II :Cauda Drac/.-------------. \ / Saturn12.36: : / \ /\ Mercury12.0: VI 14 Scorpio : / \ / \ Uranus3.4Sagittarius: : / \ / \Sun26Scorpio: : / \ / \ : : / Mars 6 \ / Jupiter 28 Libra : .---------------------------------------. III IV V Libra 4 Leo 25 Leo 26 Virgo THE FIRST INITIATION OF FRA. P. 11 Virgo 9 Leo 6 Cancer XI X IX .----------------------------------------. : \ Caput /\ / : : \ Draconis / \ / : : \ 27 / \ /3Cancer: : \ / \ /Neptune: 11 Libra XII: \ / \ / : VIII 4.30 Gemini : / \.-------------. / \ : : / : AL-Qahira : \ : : / : : \ : : / : 30 N : \ : 5.50 Scorpio I / : : \ : : \ : March 20th : /: VII 5.50 Taurus : \ : : / : : \ : 1904 E.V. : Moon 10/ : : \ :AN.0 SunAries: / : 4.30 Sagittarius II \ /.-------------. \ / : : Uranus29.52\Saturn17.5 Aquar/\ Mars17.5: VI 11 Aries : / \ Venus 1Pisces/Sun0\ : : / \ / 00" \ : : / \ / Cauda Dr27\ : : / \ /Mercury24 4.40Jupiter: .----------------------------------------. III IV V 6 Capricorn 9 Aquarius 11 Pisces THE EQUINOX OF THE GODS 7 Cancer 3 Gemini 0 Taurus XI X IX .----------------------------------------. : \ Neptune19 /\ / : : \ / \ / : : \ / Caput \ /Saturn16: : \ / Draconis7 \ / : 9 Leo XII : Moon 0 \ / \ / : VIII 1 Aries : Virgo / \.-------------. / \ : : / : Bou-Saada : \ 4Mars : : / : : \ : : / : 11.15 P.M. : \ : 7 Virgo I : / : : \ : : \ : 3.12.09 E.V.: /: VII 7 Pisces : \ : : / : : \ : NATUS NEMO : / : : \ : : / : 1 Libra II : \ /.-------------. \ / : : / \ Cauda Draco 7 /\ : VI 9 Aquarius :Jupiter/ \ Sun / \ : :10 / \ Mercury / \ : : / \ / \ : : / \ /Uranus19 Venus28\ : .----------------------------------------. III IV V 0 Scorpio 3 Sagittarius 7 Capricorn THE ANNIHILATION OF FRA. P. } THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING NEMO IN the year 1909 we find the drawing together of the Paths by which Frater P. had been traveling. First (March 21), the conscious personal work of his life was crystallized in the thorough establishment of his system of Scientific Illuminism or Sceptical Theurgy through the publication of Number I of the "Equinox;" Second (October 17), he accomplished his purely human duty without which he had no right to become Sannyasin; Third (April), another purely human side of his life reached a proper climax; Fourth (December), he was relieved of his last human responsibility; Fifth (June), he was brought back completely, in full freedom, into the work laid down in "Liber Legis." All these things were doubtless necessary as a winding-up of his business with Earth. The result is the final Initiation of December 3. There is a very curious entry in his diary for January 1 --- "Having left the Juggler (Standard Music-hall), ate 12 oysters = 1 crab = Abrahadabra, a small bottle of No. 111 (cost 231 pence), invoked and banished Mercury in P. Circus, opened message from Adonai. Folly = Aleph." {95} This was the way in which he would divine the forthcoming year. He did various things of a quite ordinary nature with an intense magical intention. He had asked a disciple to write him a message to be opened at midnight. The disciple, being a fool, wrote a foolish message, but none the less inspired. The diary continues thus --- "Sought accidental symbols while looking for a black woman to represent Binah" (to which he was aspiring). "Entered by chance, firstly, Queen's Hotel [can this refer to Binah?] and Leicester." (Leicester was the town whose hospitality had temporarily relieved him of his thorn in the flesh. Permanent relief followed in the course of the year.) He did not see any black woman, but a woman came to him and asked for alms, telling her sad story --- which was that she had been a servant who was now a fertilized free-woman with a young male child. He took this as a symbol of Binah in her form of Aima, the Rejoicing Mother. Further, she was dressed in grey, the colour of Chokmah, which he took to imply that she was the right kind of Mother, being covered by the Father. There is no record of any importance in the diary until the Vernal Equinox, when the "Word of the Equinox," which is given out by the Masters to govern the events of the six months, was "Perdurabo;" and we find, in fact, that during this six months were some of the most important events of our history, whose which finished Perdurabo. On June 15, he was at his Sacred House, and there conferred the Initiation of Neophyte upon his first probationer. The event of June 28 is so important that a little preliminary {96} explanation is required. It has been explained with what reluctance he moved to the obtaining of "Liber Legis." We have seen how he tried to avoid carrying out the instructions; how he tried to give up Magick altogether; how he tried to take up Buddhism; how he tried any and every Path to escape the task laid upon him. He even attempted to publish "Liber Legis" and the 30th and 29th AEthyrs which he had obtained in Mexico, with sceptical commentary. We find him driven inch by inch into the Path appointed by the Masters. We have seen him stripped of all that he had and of all that he was. We know, too, that he made the obtaining of Samadhi a condition of his taking up the work, on the ground that no one without that experience could possibly carry it out, and we have seen this demand granted. We have seen him hailed by the Adepts of the Great White Brotherhood in England, as not only one of themselves, but as their Master, nay, as the Logos of the AEon. We have seen him refuse to admit it. Ultimately, when every obstacle had been cleared away, when the Adepts themselves urged him to take up the work, his will refused assent, and that with finality. "For," said he, "it is impossible. In my copy of the Book of the Law I find it written 'This book shall be translated into all tongues, but always with the original in the writing of the Beast, for in the chance shape of the letters and their positions to one another, in these are mysteries that no Beast shall divine,' and this original has been lost. I have not seen it for five years." With this he dismissed the matter from his mind. He would continue with scientific illuminism. He would publish various scholarly studies of such works as Dr. Dee's. What {97} he would not do was --- what he was told! It was impossible, and there was an end of the matter. However, he was obliged to go to his house in Scotland on business, and he arrived there on June 15. Two days later he was joined by two disciples. One of these was interested in mountaineering, and had asked him for a pair of his ski. Several pairs were discovered in the loft. Some days later he determined to look for four large canvases, on which, nine years earlier, he had painted in their proper colours the Four Watch Towers of the universe given by Dr. Dee. The house was ransacked by the three men and by the servants; no trace was discovered, and the search was abandoned. On June 28, we find this entry --- "Glory be to Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit in the Highest! A little before midday I was impelled mysteriously (though exhausted by playing fives, billiards, etc. till nearly six this morning), to make a final search for Elemental Tablets. And lo! when I had at last abandoned the search, I cast mine eyes upon a hole in the loft, where were ski, etc., and there, O Holy, Holy, Holy! were not only all that I sought, but the manuscript of "Liber Legis!" It was the last straw. For the next two days he remained in meditation, as in his previous Samma Sati meditation in Burma and China, where his marvellous escape from death supplied the last factor in the equation, and brought him to the understanding of who he was and what his work. So {98} this strange finding robbed him of his last excuse for not taking up the work. Here was the reason for the years spent by him in climbing mountains. Because he had climbed mountains he desired ski; because he had climbed mountains he had gone to Cumberland in the winter previous, and there found the disciple K. M. W., whose request for the ski had brought him to the loft. Here, too, was the reason of his life-tragedy, for without that he would not have gone to Cumberland at that time or gone to his house in Scotland that summer. There was no further escape. He must take up the terrible Karma, which he had evaded, in spite of the tremendous pressure brought to bear upon him by the Masters, for five years. It is Their silent dealings with him which fill Volume 0 of the "Equinox." Broken at last, he went to the topmost point of the hill which crowns his estate, at midnight, and there, as we read in the diary, "I once more solemnly renounced all that I have or am. On departing, instantly shone the moon, two days before her fullness, over the hill among the clouds." A pencil note in the diary, written much later, underlines the words "two days before her fullness," and notes: "And I attained two quarters of year later approximately." The traces of this decision are now apparent when, from August 22 to 25, we find him at Maidenhead writing "Aha!" In this poem he gives a complete account of all that had occurred to him. Beginning with some hint of the aspiration to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, it continues with an account of the method of meditation, culminating in that same Knowledge and Conversation. The agony of the Passing of the Abyss is then {99} described, and the tearing away of all that he has or is, ending in Shivadarshana. This passage is quoted fully in the section "The Babe," "supra." Further instruction is then given in meditation. MARSYAS. There are seven keys to the great gate, Being eight in one and one in eight. First, let the body of thee be still, Bound by the cerements of will, Corpse-rigid; thus thou mayst abort The fidget-babes that tense the thought. Next, let the breath-rhythm be low, Easy, regular, and slow; So that thy being be in tune With the great sea's Pacific swoon. Third, let thy life be pure and calm Swayed softly as a windless palm. Fourth, let the will-to-live be bound To the one love of the Profound. Fifth, let the thought, divinely free From sense, observe its entity. Watch every thought that springs; enhance Hour after hour thy vigilance! Intense and keen, turned inward, miss No atom of analysis! Sixth, on one thought securely pinned Still every whisper of the wind! So like a flame straight and unstirred Burn up thy being in one word! Next, still that ecstasy, prolong Thy meditation steep and strong, {100} Slaying even God, should He distract Thy attention from the chosen act! Last, all these things in one o'erpowered, Time that the midnight blossom flowered! The oneness is. Yet even in this, My son, thou shalt not do amiss If thou restrain the expression, shoot Thy glance to rapture's darkling root, Discarding name, form, sight, and stress Even of this high consciousness; Pierce to the heart! I leave thee here: Thou art the Master. I revere Thy radiance that rolls afar, O Brother of the Silver Star! Yet, immediately following this, comes the Method of Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel, and an account of the attainment of that knowledge. MARSYAS. I teach the royal road of light. Be thou, devoutly eremite, Free of thy fate. Choose tenderly A place for thine Academy. Let there be an holy wood Of embowered solitude By the still, the rainless river, Underneath the tangled roots Of majestic trees that quiver In the quiet airs; where shoots Of the kindly grass are green Moss and ferns asleep between, {101} Lilies in the water lapped, Sunbeams in the branches trapped --- Windless and eternal even! Silenced all the birds of heaven By the low insistent call Of the constant waterfall! There, to such a setting be Its carven gem of deity, A central flawless fire, enthralled Like Truth within an emerald! Thou shalt have a birchen bark On the river in the dark; And at the midnight thou shalt go To the mid-stream's smoothest flow, And strike upon a golden bell The spirit's call; then say the spell: "Angel, mine angel, draw thee nigh!" Making the Sign of Magistry With wand of lapis lazuli. Then, it may be, through the blind dumb Night thou shalt see thine angel come, Hear the faint whisper of his wings, Behold the starry breast begemmed With the twelve stones of the twelve kings! His forehead shall be diademed With the faint light of stars, wherein The Eye gleams dominant and keen. Thereat thou swoonest; and thy love Shall catch the subtle voice thereof. He shall inform his happy lover: My foolish prating shall be over! {102} OLYMPAS. O now I burn with holy haste. This doctrine hath so sweet a taste That all the other wine is sour. MARSYAS. Son, there's a bee for every flower. Lie open, a chameleon cup, And let Him suck thine honey up! Ah, boy, all crowns and thrones above Is the sanctity of love. In His warm and secret shrine Is a cup of perfect wine, Whereof one drop is medicine Against all ills that hurt the soul. A flaming daughter of the Jinn Brought to me once a winged scroll, Wherein I read the spell that brings The knowledge of that King of Kings. Angel, I invoke thee now! Bend on me the starry brow! Spread the eagle wings above The pavilion of our love! .... Rise from your starry sapphire seats! See, where through the quickening skies The oriflamme of beauty beats Heralding loyal legionaries, Whose flame of golden javelins Fences those peerless paladins. There are the burning lamps of them, Splendid star-clusters to begem The trailing torrents of those blue Bright wings that bear mine angel through! {103} O Thou art like an Hawk of Gold, Miraculously manifold, For all the sky's aflame to be A mirror magical of Thee! The stars seem comets, rushing down To gem thy robes, bedew thy crown. Like the moon-plumes of a strange bird By a great wind sublimely stirred, Thou drawest the light of all the skies Into thy wake. The heaven dies In bubbling froth of light, that foams About thine ardour. All the domes Of all the heavens close above thee As thou art known of me who love thee. Excellent kiss, thou fastenest on This soul of mine, that it is gone, Gone from all life, and rapt away Into the infinite starry spray Of thine own AEon ... Alas for me! I faint. Thy mystic majesty Absorbs this spark. OLYMPAS. All hail! all hail! White splendour through the viewless veil! I am drawn with thee to rapture. Yet no sooner is this attained than he utters the new doctrine declared in "Liber Legis." MARSYAS. I bear a message. Heaven hath sent The knowledge of a new, sweet way Into the Secret Element. {104} OLYMPAS. Master, while yet the glory clings Declare this mystery magical! MARSYAS. I am yet borne on those blue wings Into the Essence of the All. Now, now I stand on earth again, Though, blazing through each nerve and vein, The light yet holds its choral course, Filling my frame with fiery force Like God's. Now hear the Apocalypse New-fledged on these reluctant lips! OLYMPAS. I tremble like an aspen, quiver Like light upon a rainy river! MARSYAS. Do what thou wilt! is the sole word Of law that my attainment heard. Arise, and lay thine hand on God! Arise, and set a period Unto Restriction! That is sin: To hold thine holy spirit in! O thou that chafest at thy bars, Invoke Nuit beneath her stars With a pure heart (Her incense burned Of gums and woods, in gold inurned), And let the serpent flame therein A little, and thy soul shall win To lie within her bosom. Lo! Thou wouldst give all --- and she cries: No! Take all, and take me! Gather spice And virgins and great pearls of price! Worship me in a single robe, Crowned richly! Girdle of the globe, {105} I love thee. I am drunkness Of the inmost sense; my soul's caress Is toward thee! Let my priestess stand Bare and rejoicing, softly fanned By smooth-lipped acolytes, upon Mine iridescent altar-stone, And in her love-chaunt swooningly Say evermore: To me! To me! I am the azure-lidded daughter Of sunset; the all-girdling water; The naked brilliance of the sky In the voluptuous night am I! With song, with jewel, with perfume, Wake all my rose's blush and bloom! Drink to me! Love me! I love thee, My love, my lord --- to me! to me! OLYMPAS. There is no harshness in the breath Of this --- is life surpassed, and death? MARSYAS. There is the Snake that gives delight And Knowledge, stirs the heart aright With drunkenness. Strange drugs are thine, Hadit, and draughts of wizard wine! These do no hurt. Thine hermits dwell Not in the cold secretive cell, But under purple canopies With mighty-breasted mistresses Magnificent as lionesses --- Tender and terrible caresses! Fire lives, and light, in eager eyes; And massed huge hair about them lies. {106} They lead their hosts to victory: In every joy they are kings; then see That secret serpent coiled to spring And win the world! O priest and king, Let there be feasting, foining, fighting, A revel of lusting, singing, smiting! Work; be the bed of work! Hold! Hold! The stars' kiss is as molten gold. Harden! Hold thyself up! now die --- Ah! Ah! Exceed! Exceed! OLYMPAS. And I? MARSYAS. My stature shall surpass the stars: He hath said it! Men shall worship me In hidden woods, on barren scaurs, Henceforth to all eternity. OLYMPAS. Hail! I adore thee! Let us feast. MARSYAS. I am the consecrated Beast. I build the Abominable House. The Scarlet Woman is my Spouse --- OLYMPAS. What is this word? MARSYAS. Thou canst not know Till thou hast passed the Fourth Ordeal. OLYMPAS. I worship thee. The moon-rays flow Masterfully rich and real From thy red mouth, and burst, young suns Chanting before the Holy Ones Thine Eight Mysterious Orisons! MARSYAS. The last spell! The availing word! The two completed by the third! The Lord of War, of Vengeance {107} That slayeth with a single glance! This light is in me of my Lord. His Name is this far-whirling sword. I push His order. Keen and swift My Hawk's eye flames; these arms uplift The Banner of Silence and of Strength --- Hail! Hail! thou art here, my Lord, at length! Lo, the Hawk-Headed Lord am I: My nemyss shrouds the night-blue sky. Hail! ye twin warriors that guard The pillars of the world! Your time Is nigh at hand. The snake that marred Heaven with his inexhaustible slime Is slain; I bear the Wand of Power, The Wand that waxes and that wanes; I crush the Universe this hour In my left hand; and naught remains! Ho! for the splendour in my name Hidden and glorious, a flame Secretly shooting from the sun. Aum! Ha! --- my destiny is done. The Word is spoken and concealed. OLYMPAS. I am stunned. What wonder was revealed? MARSYAS. The rite is secret. OLYMPAS. Profits it? MARSYAS. Only to wisdom and to wit. OLYMPAS. The other did no less. MARSYAS. Then prove Both by the master-key of Love. The lock turns stiffly? Shalt thou shirk {108} To use the sacred oil of work? Not from the valley shalt thou test The eggs that line the eagle's nest! Climb, with thy life at stake, the ice, The sheer wall of the precipice! Master the cornice, gain the breach, And learn what next the ridge can teach! Yet --- not the ridge itself may speak The secret of the final peak. OLYMPAS. All ridges join at least. MARSYAS. Admitted, O thou astute and subtle-witted! Yet one --- loose, jagged, clad in mist! Another --- firm, smooth, loved and kissed By the soft sun! Our order hath This secret of the solar path, Even as our Lord the Beast hath won The mystic Number of the Sun. OLYMPAS. These secrets are too high for me. MARSYAS. Nay, little brother! Come and see! Neither by faith nor fear nor awe Approach the doctrine of the Law! Truth, Courage, Love, shall win the bout, And those three others be cast out. OLYMPAS. Lead me, Master, by the hand Gently to this gracious land! Let me drink the doctrine in, An all-healing medicine! Let me rise, correct and firm, Steady striding to the term, {109} Master of my fate, to rise To imperial destinies; With the sun's ensanguine dart Spear-bright in my blazing heart, And my being's basil-plant Bright and hard as adamant! MARSYAS. Yonder, faintly luminous, The yellow desert waits for us. Lithe and eager, hand in hand, We travel to the lonely land. There, beneath the stars, the smoke Of our incense shall invoke The Queen of Space; and subtly She Shall bend from Her infinity Like a lambent flame of blue, Touching us, and piercing through All the sense-webs that we are As the aethyr penetrates a star! Her hands caressing the black earth, Her sweet lithe body arched for love, Her feet a Zephyr to the flowers, She calls my name --- she gives the sign That she is mine, supremely mine, And clinging to the infinite girth My soul gets perfect joy thereof Beyond the abysses and the hours; So that --- I kiss her lovely brows; She bathes my body in perfume Of sweat .... O thou my secret spouse, Continuous One of Heaven! illume {110} My soul with this arcane delight, Volumptuous Daughter of the Night! Eat me up wholly with the glance Of thy luxurious brilliance! OLYMPAS. The desert calls. MARSYAS. Then let us go! Or seek the sacramental snow, Where like a high-priest I may stand With acolytes on every hand, The lesser peaks --- my will withdrawn To invoke the dayspring from the dawn, Changing that rosy smoke of light To a pure crystalline white; Though the mist of mind, as draws A dancer round her limbs the gauze, Clothe Light, and show the virgin Sun A lemon-pale medallion! Thence leap we leashless to the goal, Stainless star-rapture of the soul. So the altar-fires fade As the Godhead is displayed. Nay, we stir not. Everywhere Is our temple right appointed. All the earth is faery fair For us. Am I not anointed? The Sigil burns upon the brow At the adjuration --- here and now. OLYMPAS. The air is laden with perfumes. MARSYAS. Behold! It beams --- it burns --- it blooms. OLYMPAS. Master, how subtly hast thou drawn {111} The daylight from the Golden Dawn, Bidden the Cavernous Mount unfold Its Ruby Rose, its Cross of Gold; Until I saw, flashed from afar, The Hawk's eye in the Silver Star! MARSYAS. Peace to all beings. Peace to thee, Co-heir of mine eternity! Peace to the greatest and the least, To nebula and nenuphar! Light in abundance be increased On them that dream that shadows are! OLYMPAS. Blessing and worship to The Beast, The prophet of the lovely Star! It will be seen that these various methods of attainment are all harmonious. The Method of Meditation and that of Abramelin are not superseded by the new AEon, but made subsidiary to it, and easier to employ in virtue of it. It is indeed abundantly clear that these three paths are one. The best and greatest of the antinomies, that between Magick and Mysticism, is transcended in the Method of the New AEon. But to return to the effect upon Fra. P. of the Finding of the Lost Book. There is no longer any hesitation or dissipation; as an Arrow from the Bow he flies to the mark of his high calling. We now find him, therefore, attempting to carry out the work, and finding it as difficult to do so as he had previously found it to avoid doing so; yet doing so successfully, since he was working in accordance with the Will of the Masters, and this "Temple of Solomon the King" was now intended to lead up to the point which it has at last attained. {112} However, this account in "The Temple of Solomon the King" is too clumsy, too overloaded with matter irrelevant to the main purpose, to serve as the book referred to in "Liber Legis III." 39. It will form a book of reference for students, but not a popular treatise. Frater Perdurabo was conscious of this difficulty. A further revelation through another messenger was necessary before the matter could be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. It is unnecessary in this place to detail how this came about, as it is quite recent and of too great importance in itself to deal with in any casual manner. It must suffice that this instruction is now being fully obeyed, as will be evident upon the publication of Part IV of Book 4.<> We now return to the diary. On September 24 we find a new password for the forthcoming Equinox --- "Audio." Its sublime meaning was not yet suspected by Frater Perdurabo. On November 9 we find the entry "Here endeth this diary, for I write now in a Holy Book of my Holy Pilgrimage to the Sun." In fact, he left London for Paris on November 10, attended only by a single Chela. He arrived at Algiers on the 17th, and on the next day took the tram to Arba, from which point they started to walk to Bou-Saada. At Aumale he took up again the work of obtaining the Cries of the 30 AEthyrs, to which he had not paid attention since August 1900. It is evident that he was stopped from going beyond that point at that time. A study of these Cries will explain to students of intelligence the details of this Initiation, and it will be seen from the remarks at the end of the 13th AEthyr that it is not possible to proceed beyond the 16th for any one who is not a Master of the Temple. In the 19th AEthyr is the beginning of this {113} Initiation, and it will be noticed that even in the 22nd AEthyr the Samahdi of Atmadarshana occurs, while in the 21st AEthyr is the vision of Kether, and in the 20th Shivadarshana, although not perfect. In the 19th, then, the Angel of Initiation appears, and in the 18th Shivadarshana, in its new and higher form --- "Shiva" being replaced by "Horus" --- takes place. In the 17th the Initiation continues. The Angel took him into the Pylon of the threshold in the 19th. In the 17th he is balanced. In the 16th is the first dim dawn of the Great Ones of "Liber Legis" as Lords of the Initiation, and something of the nature of the ceremony is foreshadowed. In the 15th the Adept is examined, and permission is given to pass him fully to the grade of Magister Templi, but admission to any further grade refused. It will be noticed, further, that this all takes place in a Temple of the Rosy Cross. In the 14th AEthyr we get the initiation itself. Fra. P. and his Chela, who was acting as his scribe, were upon Da'leh Addin, a mountain in the desert a few miles from Bou-Saada. It was found impossible to reach that AEthyr, and the Angel said, "Depart, for thou must invoke me only in the darkness, for the mystery cannot be spoken in sight of the sun." Frater Perdurabo therefore withdrew from the Vision. It was then that a strange thing happened. Impelled by some instinct or inspiration, it came to them that they must then and there build a Temple to the Most Holy Exalted One, and in this Temple invoke Him. The top of the Mountain was covered with large loose stones entirely suitable for this purpose. In the course of an hour or so it was built, {114} and the invocation made, after which an inscription recording the result was built. This invocation was of a very remarkable character. There had been a bar to the progress of Frater Perdurabo, a dualism in his conception of the Cosmos. He had not fully understood that the Universe was One, that one might in very truth eat and drink to the glory of God. He knew that by eating and drinking one did not necessarily detract from the glory of God, but had not fully understood the sacramentalism of the simplest actions. Now he knew that the huddling together of unhewn stones might build a better Temple than that of Luxor or of Karnak. He had still the old illusion that to succeed on one plane you must fail on another; still thought the mind more than the body, the soul more than the mind; did not see that these three must be one in exactly the same sense as the Christian Trinity (as understood by the truest Christians) is One. It was in the course of this illumination that the Truth was ceremonially conveyed to him on the Magical plane, although it was not for three years later that it fully illuminated his mind. This illusion, of which it is here spoken, is a most necessary step for the beginner, because to the beginner his ordinary life is not a sacrament. To him things are really common and unclean. He must, therefore, cut them out of his life, and hence to him the name of the Path is Renunciation. But to him who would be a Master of the Temple, the reverse applies. He wishes to remain perpetually in Samadhi, and it is therefore his renunciation to descend further and further into matter. He has volatilized the fixed: now he must fix the volatile. He has ascended from his particular body to the Universal Soul. That Universal Soul {115} must now incarnate itself ever more completely in that body, and in the bodies and minds of all men. He has made his darkness light; that light must illuminate the darkness of all. Having then received this last Initiation, this destruction of the opposition, between One and the Many, he descended from the mountain, and awaited nightfall. The nature of the Initiation itself --- its climax and completion --- can only be given in the sublime words of the Angel of the AEthyr itself. We therefore quote it in full --- "The Angel reappears." The blackness gathers about, so thick, so clinging, so penetrating, so oppressive, that all the other darkness that I have ever conceived would be like bright light beside it. His voice comes in a whisper: O thou that art master of the fifty gates of Understanding, is not my mother a black woman? O thou that art master of the Pentagram, is not the egg of spirit a black egg? Here abideth terror, and the blind ache of the Soul, and lo! even I, who am the sole light, a spark shut up, stand in the sign of Apophis and Typhon. I am the snake that devoureth the spirit of man with the lust of light. I am the sightless storm in the night that wrappeth the world about with desolation. Chaos is my name, and thick darkness. Know thou that the darkness of the earth is ruddy, and the darkness of the air is grey, but the darkness of the soul is utter blackness. The egg of the spirit is a basilisk egg, and the gates of the understanding are fifty, that is the sign of the Scorpion. The pillars about the neophyte are crowned with flame, and the vault of the Adepts is lighted by the Rose. And in the {116} abyss is the Eye of the Hawk. But upon the great sea shall the Master of the Temple find neither star nor moon. And I was about to answer him: "The light is within me." But before I could frame the words, he answered me with the great word that is the Key of the Abyss. And he said: Thou hast entered the night; dost thou yet lust for day? Sorrow is my name, and affliction. I am girt about with tribulation. Here still hangs the Crucified One, and here the Mother weeps over the children that she hath not borne. Sterility is my name, and desolation. Intolerable is thine ache, and incurable thy wound. I said, Let the darkness cover me; and behold, I am compassed about with the blackness that hath no name. O thou, who hast cast down the light into the earth, so must thou do for ever. And the light of the sun shall not shine upon thee, and the moon shall not lend thee of her lustre, and the stars shall be hidden, because thou art passed beyond these things, beyond the need of these things, beyond the desire of these things. What I thought were shapes of rocks, rather felt than seen, now appear to be veiled Masters, sitting absolutely still and silent. Nor can any one be distinguished from the others. And the Angel sayeth: Behold where thine Angel hath led thee! Thou didst ask fame, power and pleasure, health and wealth and love, and strength, and length of days. Thou didst hold life with eight tentacles, like an octopus. Thou didst seek the four powers and the seven delights and the twelve emancipations and the two and twenty Privileges and the nine and forty Manifestations, and lo! thou art become as one of These. Bowed are their backs, whereon resteth the {117} universe. Veiled are their faces, that have beheld the glory Ineffable. These adepts seem like Pyramids --- their hoods and robes are like Pyramids. And the Angel sayeth: Verily is the Pyramid a Temple of Initiation. Verily also is it a tomb. Thinkest thou that there is life within the Masters of the Temple, that sit hooded, encamped upon the Sea? Verily, there is no life in them. Their sandals were the pure light, and they have taken them from their feet and cast them down through the abyss, for this AEthyr is holy ground. Herein no forms appear, and the vision of God face to face, that is transmuted in the Athanor called dissolution, or hammered into one in the forge of meditation, is in this place but a blasphemy and a mockery. And the Beatific Vision is no more, and the glory of the Most High is no more. There is no more knowledge. There is no more bliss. There is no more power. There is no more beauty. For this is the Palace of Understanding: for thou art one with the Primeval things. Drink in the myrrh of my speech, that is bruised with the gall of the roc, and dissolved in the ink of the cuttle-fish, and perfumed with the deadly nightshade. This is thy wine, who wast drunk upon the wine of Iacchus. And for bread shalt thou eat salt, O thou on the corn of Ceres that didst wax fat! For as pure being is pure nothing, so is pure wisdom pure ...<>, and so is pure understanding silence, and stillness, and darkness. The eye {118} is called seventy, and the triple Aleph whereby thou perceivest it, divideth into the number of the terrible word that is the Key of the Abyss. I am Hermes, that am sent from the Father to expound all things discreetly in these the last words that thou shalt hear before thou take thy seat among these whose eyes are sealed up, and whose ears are stopped, and whose mouths are clenched, who are folded in upon themselves, the liquor of whose bodies is dried up, so that nothing remains but a little pyramid of dust. And that bright light of comfort, and that piercing sword of truth, and all that power and beauty that they have made of themselves, is cast from them, as it is written, "I saw Satan like lightning fall from Heaven." And as a flaming sword is it dropt through the abyss, where the four beasts keep watch and ward. And it appeareth in the heaven of Jupiter as a morning star, or as an evening star. And the light thereof shineth even unto the earth, and bringeth hope and help to them that dwell in the darkness of thought, and drink of the poison of life. Fifty are the gates of understanding, and one hundred and six are the seasons thereof. And the name of every season is Death. During all this speech, the figure of the Angel has dwindled and flickered, and now it is gone out. And I come back in the body, rushing like a flame in a great wind. And the shew-stone has become warm, and in it is its own light. "Bou-saada, December" 3, 1909. 9.50-11.15 "p.m." Comment on this cry can but profane it, yet it is necessary to emphasize the very peculiar nature of the attainment {119} of this grade. In all previous grades the nature of the Initiation has been light through darkness. In this it is darkness through light. The word of the Adept was L V X, Light. The word of the Master of the Temple is N O X, Night. This is the Night of Pan. The direction of the Path is definitely changed. The Master of the Temple cannot go to the Magus unless bringing the Neophyte himself in his hand, and in this task there is no consolation, as there has always been before. The visions are no more. Silence and stillness and darkness rule the grade. The Adept has throughout his progress been unifying himself. As it is written in "Liber CCCXXXIII," Chapter III, the Brothers of A ∴ A ∴ are women; the Aspirants to A ∴ A ∴ are men. The Master of the Temple has given birth to a child, which child appears as an Adept among men. But that which was the Adept is but a little pile of dust. Samadhi has been attained once and for all. The process is complete and permanent. The Great Work is accomplished. The new Great Work is proclaimed. He has finished with Solve. He must begin Coagula. In the 13th AEthyr the Initiation continues. The Initiate obtains his reward, and that reward is to understand all, yet to labour in the darkness without hope of reward. Now, however, we come to the 12th AEthyr, wherein is the second mystery of the Reward, of which the key is the word N O X. BABALON, the Lady of the City of the Pyramids, is revealed. In "Liber VII" is the first utterance of the Master of the Temple, and this book should be studied by those who seek a further understanding. {120} Such is the first part of the Ritual of Initiation. In the second part the Master is made to understand what is that Abyss which he has passed. In the 11th AEthyr he comes to the fortress upon the frontier of the Abyss, and is there prepared for the crossing of the Abyss. Every drop of his blood is taken for the cup of BABALON. The Candidate asks, "Is there not the Holy Guardian Angel?" And the answer is given, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me??" It is the last word of the Aethyr. And of all the horror of the Abyss, that is the one word that yet chills his blood as he remembers it. Now then, in the 10th AEthyr, is given the Abyss. The Candidate is identified with the horror of that Abyss. Had not the Master already passed the Abyss, as it were, unofficially, he could not have endured this crystallization of it into name and form. In the 9th AEthyr comes a further reward, a further understanding of the task. And the first indication that he has really passed the Abyss on all planes is that there is no longer any curse. All is blessing. There is a secret meaning, a blessing in everything. And this is his reward --- the Daughter of BABALON the beautiful. She is the pure soul, glorified by virtue of his attainment. In the 8th AEthyr this is continued. The Master becomes a Holy Guardian Angel unto another, the Bridegroom of his Bride. This marriage is now accomplished in the 7th AEthyr. There is Samadhi, but now no longer from below, but from above. {121} The reward of Understanding is further granted in the remaining AEthyrs. In the 6th there is a shadowing forth of the Grade of Magus. And with this closes this part of the Initiation. Now then, in the 5th AEthyr, comes the final reception. And after this reception among the Brothers of the Silver Star comes the Vision of the Arrow. In the 4th AEthyr, the nature of the Great Work which the Master of the Temple must accomplish is shown more fully. The Holy Guardian Angel presents his Bride to the Mother, who presents her to the Father. One may remark that it is necessary to be a Master of the Temple before anything like a full understanding of these mysteries can be attained. In the 3rd AEthyr the Guards to the further Grades are exhibited. Now it may be asked, "What has become of the blood of the Adept which was put into the cup of BABALON, for that blood is his life?" In this supreme Initiation narrated in the 2nd AEthyr the answer to this question is given. The word "Samadhi" is now deep down, "an old unhappy far-off thing." By so much does this exceed that. In this supreme marriage of Infinite with Infinite comes the key to the Grade of Ipsissimus, which Grade is shadowed forth --- but oh, how dimly! --- in the 1st AEthyr. It will be noticed by those who understand this AEthyr that when all is done there is a complete identification (on the very last page) of that highest thing with that lowest. The Master of the Temple is not only the dust in the Pyramid, and the Blood in the Cup, but he is also that which was cast down through the Abyss into the Heaven of Jupiter. The {122} brain reels before such a conception. And the human brain of the Master of the Temple is but little more fitted to understand this in his life as a man than if he had never entered on the Path at all. For the Ego has been totally destroyed, and he has nothing wherewith to bind together these things. He is not any of these things, for there is no He. Those things are. And of the results of this, and of how it may bear upon the question of his advancement to the Grade of Magus, who can say? It is not the Master of the Temple even who could answer such a question. For, in relation to his advancement, he is but that little pile of dust which is to burn up, and from which shall be prepared a white ash by Hermes the Invisible. And in relation to his true life, it is mixed with the blood of all his fellows in the Cup of BABALON. And in relation to his body and mind he is but a vehicle of the forces that are beyond the Abyss. He will therefore speak, but as a man among men, of that which he has seen and heard. But he will not claim authority. He will not proclaim dogma. For all that in him from which such things proceed is no more. He will remain in the darkness of the City of the Pyramids under the Night of Pan, sitting silent through 106 seasons, the name of every one of which is Death, ever seeking to make his understanding perfect, until the time comes for him to seek that yet more fearful ordeal which must evidently< > be involved in the attainment of the Grade of Magus. That such a time should arrive in this present life would probably seem to him unthinkable. One would imagine that the Magus must be born, not made. It would seem that no human body unglorified by an absolutely perfect harmony with the whole {123} of the being of which it is such a small part could confront even the Guardian of the Threshold of that Ordeal. One would imagine that in order to be suitable for such Initiation, the body and mind must be completely representative of the whole of the Cosmos, a perfect microcosm. The Mind of such an one must perfectly comprehend every phase of the Universe without exception. It must, in the most real intellectual sense, be equally "The buffet and the Ear." As it is written, "A man of like passions as we are." It is not possible here or elsewhere, nor is it particularly desirable, to enlarge upon such a subject. Such discussions are as unprofitable as those sterile controversies about the nature of Nirvana, that have done more harm to Oriental though than all the rest of it has done good. For that which is requisite for every man is "the next step," and Frater P. has concentrated his message into this one phrase, "ATTAIN TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONVERSATION OF THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL." All beyond that is useless till that has been done. Here, then, the task of the writers of this book. "The Temple of Solomon the King," may end. The progress of a man has been described in detail with the documents reproduced verbatim. It is of no concern to any man, least of all to him, whether that account of his attainment is accepted. What is urgent for each man is that the message should be accepted. And this message, whether it be interpreted in Taphareth, the attainment of the Heart, or {124} in Daath, the attainment of the Mind, or in Kether, the attainment of that which includes and transcends all, the message itself is simple. It involves no reference to facts. Frater Perdurabo may be a myth. The methods are experimental. Faith, in the conventional sense, is a condition of failure, not of success. The Word has been proclaimed. It is of no avail without the Work. {125}


text:
The key area McLaren\'s having to treat Ricciardo like an F1 beginner
Related Videos
Is Mercedes stuck with its 2021 car problem? | The Race F1 Podcast
4 Hours of Red Bull - Race 2, European Le Mans Series 2021 ELMS
McLaren\'s special Monaco livery shows the rule F1 needs
Aston Martin's \'naive\' call for F1 rule help explained
Why Vettel\'s Aston Martin F1 debut was so bad
The key moment that confused Mercedes and cost Hamilton French GP victory
Mercedes' upcoming F1 technical reshuffle explained
10 awkward ways F1 drivers split with Ferrari
Have F1's new rules hurt Mercedes' low-rake car concept?
How Ferrari is introducing a 2021 F1 engine upgrade during a rules freeze
2021 Indy Lights Race 3 - Live, full race
2021 Indy Lights Race 4 - Live, full race
Why Red Bull\'s Hamilton penalty review bid failed and triggered condemnation
Why F1\'s new 2021 Saturday races are flawed
The 10 most powerful people in Formula E
The incredible story of how McLaren and Mercedes split up in F1
Will the rest of F1 2021 be as exciting as the Bahrain GP? | The Race F1 Podcast
Every Jordan / Force India / Racing Point F1 driver ranked from worst to best
How Hamilton vs Verstappen Bahrain thriller became F1 2021's first controversy
The problems that held Alpine's F1 car back and how it's catching up
Everything you need to know about F1\'s first sprint race at the British GP
Each F1 team\'s main worry heading into the 2021 season
Where the Hamilton v Verstappen F1 title battle risks turning ugly
The Honda \'miracle\' behind Verstappen\'s F1 title bid
Why Norris now faces \'stupid\' F1 race ban risk
4 Hours of Barcelona - Race 1, Michelin Le Mans Cup 2021 MLMC
How close is Perez to a new Red Bull F1 deal already?
Is Mercedes now the underdog in the 2021 F1 title fight? | The Race F1 Podcast | Styrian GP
Why Porsche and Audi are part of latest F1 engine talks
How Verstappen fight influenced Hamilton\'s new Mercedes F1 contract
Why F1 teams have become obsessed with narrow nose designs
The best and worst F1 games ever
Why Aston Martin\'s Vettel F1 disqualification \'review\' bid failed
10 F1 drivers who wasted their big chance
2021 Indy Lights Race 8 - Belle Isle Park , Live, full race
How much ground Ferrari has really made up with its 2021 F1 car
\'Why I was wrong about Fernando Alonso\'s F1 comeback\'
Everything we know about the new F1 2021 game so far
How McLaren emerged as a surprise F1 threat to Mercedes and Red Bull
Verstappen\'s Hamilton dig after Mercedes\' first F1 2021 implosion
© 2024 RaceScene.com, a division of Outdoorsmen.com, Inc. Contact Us: 1 (888) 838-3396

subset: commoncrawl


text:
(AM-422: dp. 775; 1. 172'; b. 35'; dr. 10'; s. 14 k.; cpl. 70; a. 1 40mm., 2 .50-cal. mg.; cl. Aggressive)
Aggressive (AM-422) was laid down on 25 May 1951 at Stamford, Conn., by Luders Marine Construction Co.; launched on 4 October 1952; sponsored by Mrs. Stephen M. Archer; and commissioned on 25 November 1953 at Brooklyn, N.Y., in the New York Naval Shipyard, Lt. Lawrence W. Kelley in command.
The minesweeper remained in the shipyard for alterations during most of 1954. Late in the year, she got underway for shakedown training at Key West, Fla. She then reported to her home port, Charleston, S.C., for more training. In February 1955, her designation was changed to MSF-422. Aggressive took part in a large-scale mine warfare exercise held off the southeast coast of the United States. Upon completing the exercise, she returned to Charleston to prepare for an overseas deployment.
Throughout her career, Aggressive alternated duty in the Mediterranean with the 6th Fleet, usually lasting about one-half year, with services to fleet units and activities on the east coast of the United States. There, she participated in numerous NATO mine warfare training exercises. During a cruise in 1958, Aggressive took part in the landing of American forces in Lebanon.
The ship was homeported at Charleston for her whole naval career. She also provided services to the Naval Mine Warfare School, Charleston; Naval Mine Defense Laboratory, Panama City, Fla.; Mine Evaluation Detachment, Key West, Fla.; and the Naval Ordnance Laboratory Test Facility, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Aggressive also took part in several fleet exercises and operations along the Atlantic coast and in the Caribbean.
On 1 October 1970, preparations to deactivate the ship were begun, and she was decommissioned on 2 July 1971. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 28 February 1975, and she was sold to R. E. Williams in May 1980.


text:
The pictures are blurry when the SteadyShot function is off and the camera is attached to a tripod.
The camera is equipped with a high-resolution image sensor. Due to this reason, images may become blurred even by a slight vibration during shooting.
- To avoid blurry pictures, use a solid tripod and be careful not to extend the legs or elevate more than necessary. It is also recommended to use a large camera platform to increase stability.
- We recommend that you use the remote commander or the self-timer function of the camera.


text:
A Coca Cola subsidiary making a vitamin drink removed its four-story ad featuring a half-naked woman from a Manhattan hotel building after the pastor of a church across the street sent just four tweets to the company objecting to it.
Pastor Freddy Wyatt of Gallery Church in Broadway, N.Y., says he was "angry and brokenhearted" when he looked out of his office window on the morning of April 3 and saw a four story sized half-naked woman with the words "XXX you're up" on the billboard. It was an ad for Vitamin Water installed on the side of Broadway Plaza Hotel in front of the church.
"I was brokenhearted for the woman who was on the billboard, knowing thousands of men every day will pass by looking at her picture as an object to be lusted after, not a person to be valued," the 36-year-old pastor says as he shares the story on his church's website. "I was brokenhearted that my little girl, Lillie, after hearing the message that she is loved and valued by God will walk out the doors of her church only to receive another message by the four story billboard, maybe if you look like this, or take your shirt off and sexually tease men, maybe then you'll be valued by them."
Wyatt decided to take action. "I sent just a few tweets @CocaCola and @Vitamin water telling them my brief thoughts about the billboard and asking them to take it down." He sent four tweets to the company: "I'm a Pastor in NYC & u just put this larger than life garbage up across from @GalleryChurch… the billboard is degrading to women, unhelpful for men... is ur product so bad that you have to put a half dressed woman on a building sized billboard to sell it? ... On behalf of the families in NYC that are seeking to raise respectable & wholesome families, take it down."
Wyatt was surprised when Vitamin Water tweeted back the following day: "…We'd love to discuss your concerns…" He sent his contact information to the company. But when they called, he was away. Yet, the next morning when he again looked out of his office window, he was amazed to see the billboard removed.
"This is a respectable, honorable, and classy decision on the part of Vitamin Water," Wyatt says, adding that he hopes the incident "will spur on a conversation at Vitamin Water that results in the removal of these inappropriate images from all their ads." If they do this, he says, and restore the focus of their ads back on their product, "the drink won't be the only thing that is refreshing. Their ads will be too."


text:
Hopkins heating is Basingstoke's leading gas boiler installation, service and repair company serving homes across Hampshire and Berskshire – such as but not limited to Andover, Basingstoke, Newbury, Reading, Thatcham and Winchester.
As your local central heating gas boiler experts we specialise in all aspects of gas central heating and related plumbing including power flushing.
Hopkins Heating is a Gas Safe Registered Company – Registration number 542688 – Your safety is our number 1 priority.
Please do check our gas safe registration on the gas safe register here and see the work we are qualified for.
Along with being Gas Safe Registered we are also CBR checked, British Gas approved contractors and hold Corgi public liabilty insurance protecting you the customer.


text:
It's been ages, well years, since I've mounted a finish into a greetings card, but this was a must do for my daughter-in-law Nic's birthday. A few years ago Nic celebrated her 30th, with a 1920s themed party, so when I saw this (which I think was a year or so ago now, in issue 71 of the Cross Stitch Card Shop magazine), I had to buy it, knowing she would love it! This is just one of six designs by Lesley Teare from the magazine - I'm sure I'll be stitching one or two more for Nic in the future, even though I did find the fractional stitches a bit trying - I really do hate them!
Well, I don't know where the time goes, but I'm back again here in a very hot Dubai, but keeping a lot cooler indoors with the AC then I was at home in the UK! I was home for almost six weeks, and spent lots of lovely time with my Mum, and seeing my sister Sarah. We didn't get to see a lot of Jason and Matthew, due to them both being very busy with work and other commitments, but had a great time when we did get together, and we'll be seeing them again very soon, because they're both, with Nic, coming out to stay in October. We're all very excited and can't wait, we're going to have so much fun!
I'm just about caught up with housework now, and looking forward to catching up with my stitching! There was a fair bit more dust here then I was expecting to find on my return, mostly due I think to having to keep the AC on so that the villa kept cool for the two weeks that Colin was back in the UK with me. It's surprising how dusty it gets when you're not here to keep on top of it, quite a contrast to what I found when I returned home after being away for six months, but then I suppose I am living in a bit of a sandpit here...lol!
I'm really hoping to be blogging again soon with another little finish. I have plenty of stitched pieces just waiting to be made up, some still waiting from way back, so perhaps I might just dig one or two of those out, and do a really quick finish with them!
Bye for now, hope to be back soon, and thank you for stopping by! :o)


text:
You see, as some of you know, I'm an engineer. More significantly, as far fewer know, I have over 30 years of carbon composite experience in flight vehicle structures. These range from flaky homebuilt aircraft up to things that lead me to take offense when people talk about "rocket scientists." It's somewhere upward of 300 composite assemblies over the years.
The world of carbon composites is vast and complex. Some of it is fundamental to making weapons of war, so I'll stay away from things that will cause me to be thrown into prison for violating the "International Trafficking in Arms Regulations." Don't look here if you want me to spill the beans on how to build the world's most advanced fighter jet, or how to sabotage carbon helicopter blades. Put simply, carbon is just another material. Like many, if you abuse it, it can kill you. Aircraft manufacturers have failed with the material (of COURSE my example is Airbus) Carbon is more than just a fashion statement, though it is clearly THAT as well.
If you want to use carbon composites as MORE than a fashion statement, there's a lot of stuff you need to know, and I'll plan on doing a series of articles that, strung together, constitute at least a short story on the subject for regular people - and bike mechanics.
First off, I'll treat a few of the items brought up in CITIZEN RIDER'S excellent challenge. This will preceed the organized treatment:
#1 - All those inspection items are not going to do you any good at all, though squid magnotometers at least sound really cool. In aircraft, beyond a visual inspection to see really extreme stuff, it is really only ultrasonic or xray inspection that is used. I think most bike shops and people are not in a position to do xray inspections. Even ultrasonic inspections are not as wonderful as most think. Ultrasonic equipment suitable for a bike shop can be had for $200-$4000 via ebay. The upper end seems more than I'd want to pay. The lower end is a thickness measurer. Maybe just not good enough. For a dedicated bike mechanic, there are other common sense solutions, however.


text:
AsparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemiis used with other chemotherapy medications to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL; a type of cancer of the white blood cells). It is used in patients who have had some types of allergic reactions to medications similar to asparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemisuch as (asparaginase [Elspar] or pegaspargase [Oncaspar]). AsparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemiis an enzyme that interferes with natural substances necessary for cancer cell growth. It works by killing or stopping the growth of cancer cells.
AsparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemicomes as a powder to be added to fluid and injected into a muscle by a doctor or nurse in a medical facility. It is usually given three times a week.
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
Before taking asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi,
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, continue your normal diet.
If you miss an appointment to receive a dose of asparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemi, call your doctor right away.
Asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away:
Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms, call your doctor immediately or get emergency medical treatment:
Asparaginase Erwinia chrysanthemi may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.
If you experience a serious side effect, you or your doctor may send a report to the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program online ( Web Site ) or by phone (1-800-332-1088).
Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your body's response to asparaginaseErwinia chrysanthemi.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
AHFS® Consumer Medication Information. © Copyright, The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc., 7272 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland. All Rights Reserved. Duplication for commercial use must be authorized by ASHP.
Selected Revisions: December 15, 2012.


text:
Streaming, gaming, on-demand, and second-screen experiences are becoming standard for media and entertainment companies as audiences consume what they want, when they want—wherever they are. Exceed consumer expectations and drive innovation at global scale with Oracle. From content development to production, broadcasting, over the top (OTT) services, and more, Oracle helps you uncover efficiencies and optimize resources to provide the best possible customer experience.
451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence, conducted a global survey with more than 1,500 respondents. They found that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated cloud infrastructure and multicloud adoption, enabling more innovation and cost optimization. Read the report today to get more industry insights and see how your industry stacks up.
Interactive: Explore Oracle solutions for the media and entertainment industry.
Target loyal consumers with hyperpersonalized, content and services at the right time and increase share of wallet with new digital services and bundled offerings.
Explore Digital Experience for Media and EntertainmentIncrease customer retention and fuel growth by creating AI-driven, pay-TV experiences that meet customer expectations and demand.
Explore Digital Home ServiceMake sure your digital ads are seen by people—not bots—so you know for certain if your advertising is meeting your objectives.
Explore Oracle AdvertisingCombine online, offline, and third-party data with AI and machine learning to create a consistent brand experience across marketing, sales, and service.
Explore Customer Data PlatformMonetize any business model at scale with the flexibility and capabilities of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Explore Billing Revenue ManagementGive guests the ability to define their own journey onsite, and create a connected experience they can enjoy before, during, and after the event.
Explore Food and Beverage solutions"Oracle Cloud was the obvious choice for Premier League to be able to give fans worldwide a game-changing new experience."
Premier League Chief Executive
Boost production-process efficiencies and fuel profitability by tapping into relevant insights to make the right investment and production planning decisions.
Explore Smart Media Production PlanningDrive finance transformation through evolving value chains to gain greater visibility and insight into corporate and production financials.
Explore Oracle Fusion ERP AnalyticsIdentify, attract, develop, manage, and retain the best talent in an increasingly competitive digital and collaborative workplace.
Explore Talent and Workplace Agility"One of the things that we realized early on was that this is a different type of relationship with a software company. It wasn't just selling software to us. It was about developing a long-term relationship."
Hearst Senior Vice President and CIO, Oracle Technology and Operations
Generate actionable data across every customer touchpoint to personalize the consumer experience.
Explore Data LakehouseTransform consumer engagement and open up new business models with IoT, AI, blockchain, machine learning, and chatbots.
Explore Emerging TechnologiesMove, build, and run all your global media workloads on a secure, high-performance environment with Oracle Cloud Regions.
Explore Cloud Regions"We're excited to broaden our partnership with Oracle and provide even more advanced video capabilities to customers, both through delivering our video solutions on OCI and by infusing our video capabilities into Oracle products that customers know and love."
Cofounder, chairman, and CEO, Kaltura
Oracle wins trifecta of Adweek "Readers' Choice" awards
Read the articleKaltura selects Oracle to support growth and accelerate global expansion
Read the articleOlivier Jorda, Senior Director, Oracle Industry Strategy Group, Media & Entertainment Industry
As the streaming battle rages, the key to capturing the market is getting highest quality content to consumers as quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively as possible. Content providers take ever-greater risks with escalating content budgets. We examine how Oracle can help maximize the efficiency of the production end-to-end processes.
Read the complete postThis webinar features entrepreneurs from startups aiconix, Arti, and ReSpo·Vision. Hear how they're reshaping media and entertainment.
The independent research firm recognized Oracle Advertising and Customer Experience for its "robust experience platform, with strength in commerce and campaigns."
Oracle works with Dish Media to make it easier for marketers to reach and engage with their desired target audiences on TV.
Interested in learning more about Oracle for Media and Entertainment? Let one of our experts help.


text:
I just saw these comments on an abortion providers site. http://www.affiliatedmedicalservices.com
I am trying to remember if I was as evasive in describing my abortion. Not one of them says the word abortion...or anything close to describing what it is they were doing.
I am not judging them, in fact I was just wondering if I did the same thing...I cannot remember. I think most women probaby do the same...let's all just pretend that what is happening is not and then we can go on with our lives. I mean, that is they way it has been from the beginning, the manipulation of words, yet the pro abortion groups make it seem like we inflict the shame....if you are post abortive, do you remember what you called it?
Patient Comments
"I just wanted to let you know that the entire staff was so comforting during my procedure and that is just what I needed."
"I appreciated that, despite the unpleasant circumstances, I was treated with kindness and acceptance, from the volunteer escorts to the nurse who helped me out the door. Thanks to all of you for providing an essential service with gentleness and humanity."
"I would like to show my appreciation to your staff and clinic. It's great to know there is still some trust in this world."
"When I called, the lady on the phone was very helpful, making it easier for me. Upon arrival, I was greeted courteously, promptly, and with respect. I found your medical staff extremely caring, confident, and understanding."
"I came alone, frightened, and extremely nervous. However, each and every one of you, from the front desk to the recovery room, helped ease that anxiety. You all showed concern and friendliness, and were quite informative. Dr. Smith was professional yet pleasant, which meant so much to me. I was not alone after all. I had the support of all of you."
"You have given me the gift of choice. You have put me back in control of my own destiny. And because of your compassion, I will never allow anyone else to choose for me again."
"I was very pleased and impressed with your office. I was extremely apprehensive concerning my appointment, but was made to feel amazingly comfortable and relaxed because of everybody there. Your office is well-run and staffed with wonderful people."
"Your kindness and caring at a difficult time in my life is greatly appreciated."
"I knew the minute I walked in it would be very different from my experiences elsewhere. I was warmly greeted by every staff member I came in contact with. The nurse, the aides, and the counselor all made sure that I understood everything going on and that I was comfortable about the decision I had made. I chose to go through this on my own for many reasons. This makes everyone's help and understanding even more important. Please let your staff know how much I value the warm and friendly treatment I received at a time when I most needed it."
"Thank you for helping me get my life back on track."
"I am writing to thank all of you for your support and kindness. You helped me deal with this day without shame. You did not judge me. You held my hand and even wiped tears from my face. You treated me like a woman. You treated me with respect. All the tenderness helped me cope with my pain and sorrow. I hope you have some sense of how grateful are the women you have helped."
"I would like to thank everyone who helped make my experience as comfortable as possible. I had a minor complication at the end of the procedure, and the staff handled the situation calmly and efficiently. I was relieved to see how easily the problem was corrected, and after careful monitoring, I was able to go home. The entire staff was courteous and sensitive to my situation, and the compassion I felt was greatly appreciated. If a friend is ever in need of your services, I would be comfortable recommending you to her."
"I am sorry I don't remember everyone's names, but I do remember everyone's faces very clearly. Everyone seemed to go out of their way to be extra nice to me. You made my very hard situation seem important to all of you. You have made such a positive impact on me. There are still special people out there who really care."
"I would like to thank you for making me feel comfortable at such a difficult time."
"This was the hardest decision of my life. Though I was confident in my decision, it was still very frightening facing the unknown. All of you were so supportive of myself and my boyfriend. We are truly grateful for your kindness."
"You made my visit seem less stressful. You made sure I was comfortable. I appreciate the fact that you made sure all was well before I left. I didn't feel like I was put through a factory lineup. Thanks you to Dr. Smith and your awesome staff."
"Thanks for your gentle words, smiles, and understanding. Your dedication to a woman's right to choose is greatly appreciated."


text:
FAQ VLT/Paranal
- How sharp is the vision of a VLT Unit Telescope with adaptive optics?
- How sharp is the vision of the VLTI?
- How smooth are the VLT mirrors?
- How large, and how heavy, are the VLT primary mirrors?
- How heavy is a VLT Unit Telescope?
- Since Paranal is such a remote and dry site, how are the essentials provided?
- Why do we need ground-based telescopes when we have telescopes in space, free from the effects of the Earth's atmosphere?
- Is access to the VLT Unit Telescopes allowed at night?
- What is the percentage of observations performed in visitor mode versus service mode, and what are the main advantages and disadvantages offered by each mode?
- How many telescopes can be combined at the VLTI?
- A spectacular red laser beam is pictured in many photos of Paranal Observatory. How often is this laser guide star used?
- How many astronomers are typically on site at Paranal?
- How big are the buildings which house the VLT´s telescopes?
- Do earthquakes represent a threat for the VLT?
- What are the VLT´s primary mirrors made of?
- How do you keep the VLT mirrors clean?
- How much aluminium is needed to cover the surface of the VLT´s mirrors?
- Could the VLT take a picture of the Moon-landing sites?
- Why is the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla called the New Technology Telescope?
- What kind of planets can the spectrograph HARPS see?
- How does the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) work?
- What is the maximum resolution of a telescope array, or interferometer?
- How many people work for the VLT on Paranal?
- What is its annual budget for the VLT (excluding personnel)?
- How much did it cost to build the VLT?
- How is energy produced at ESO's Observatories?
- What makes the VISTA mirror so special?
- What do the survey telescopes add to the VLT?
Q: How sharp is the vision of a VLT Unit Telescope with adaptive optics?
A: By removing the blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere, the VLT´s adaptive optics system achieves an angular resolution of about 50 milliarcseconds, which means that it can distinguish details smaller than the size of a DVD on the International Space Station, as seen from the ground.
Q: How sharp is the vision of the VLTI?
A: When two or more telescopes are combined in interferometric mode, the spatial resolution is determined by the maximum distance between them. The VLTI, operating with two 8.2-metre Unit Telescopes, reaches a spatial resolution equivalent to a single 130-metre giant telescope, which is about 2 milliarcseconds. This is equivalent to distinguishing two points separated by the size of a sesame seed on the International Space Station as seen from the ground.
Q: How smooth are the VLT mirrors?
A: An optical surface needs to be very accurately polished so that its imperfections are smaller than the wavelength of the collected light. Otherwise, the image will be degraded. In the case of the VLT, if we scale the diameter of the 8.2-metre primary mirrors to the size of the Earth, the largest imperfection on them would still be no larger than a pebble.
Q: How large, and how heavy, are the VLT primary mirrors?
A: The VLT mirrors are 8.2 metres in diameter, but only 17.5 cm thick – very thin relative to their size. If you scaled a mirror down to the size of a CD, its thickness would be equivalent to just two discs placed on top of each other. Despite being very thin, the large diameter means the glass weighs 23 tonnes.
Q: How heavy is a VLT Unit Telescope?
A: The movable structure of each VLT Unit Telescopes is the azimuth platform and it weighs 430 tonnes, which is about the same as a fully loaded jumbo jet. However, it is so perfectly balanced and resting on hydrostatic oil-film bearings, that the giant telescopes can be moved by hand.
Q: Since Paranal is such a remote and dry site, how are the essentials provided?
A: Paranal is a very arid and isolated place, where no trace of water can be found, and the closest town is about 100 km away. For this reason, everything needed must be brought in specially. The 60 000 litres of water that are used each day are delivered by truck from Antofagasta, the capital of the region, located some 120 km north.
Q: Why do we need ground-based telescopes when we have telescopes in space, free from the effects of the Earth's atmosphere?
A: On the ground, we can build larger telescopes than those we can economically put in orbit. Techniques such as adaptive optics help us remove the blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere. The adaptive optics system detects the distortion introduced by the atmosphere in real time and uses this information to act on a deformable mirror hundreds of times per second in order to compensate for the atmosphere. The final result is a corrected image almost as sharp as those we get from telescopes in space.
Q: Is access to the VLT Unit Telescopes allowed at night?
A: During observations, not even the astronomers and operator are present in the telescope building. For safety reasons and in order to avoid light and heat contamination, access to the telescopes is restricted to authorised personnel, and only when absolutely needed. Once the telescope is ready to start observations, the engineer hands it over to the astronomer and it is operated remotely from a control room in a separate building.
Q: What is the percentage of observations performed in visitor mode versus service mode, and what are the main advantages and disadvantages offered by each mode?
A: At present, most observations are done in service mode, at 60-70% of the total time, versus 30-40% for the visitor mode. Although the VLT is exclusively operated by highly specialised ESO staff, the visitor mode offers astronomers the opportunity for direct interaction, which is particularly useful whenever any real-time decision is needed; nevertheless, any time lost for meteorological reasons cannot be reassigned. On the other hand, the service mode guarantees full flexibility to reschedule observations to match them with the most suitable atmospheric conditions.
Q: How many telescopes can be combined at the VLTI?
A: The instruments currently available at VLTI can combine a maximum of three Unit Telescopes or three Auxiliary Telescopes at the same time. The Auxiliary Telescopes have 100% of their observing time with the VLTI, while the Unit Telescopes are usually busy with an enormous variety of observations, so they typically do not spend more than 20% of their time on VLTI. The Unit Telescopes are typically used in interferometric mode for fainter sources, when a larger collecting area is needed.
Q: A spectacular red laser beam is pictured in many photos of Paranal Observatory. How often is this laser guide star used?
A: The laser guide star is part of the VLT´s adaptive optics system and is launched from Yepun (Unit Telescope 4). It is used for adaptive optics when no good reference stars are found in the field of view. Yepun typically observes with the laser guide star for about 25% of the time.
Q: How many astronomers are typically on site at Paranal?
A: There are typically about ten astronomers at the site on the same shift. This represents less than 10% of the total "population" of the observatory, which, besides the technical staff, also includes logistics, administration, and general service personnel. Even among the technical staff, astronomers are not the most numerous; four times as many engineers and technicians are normally on site. This highly specialised team is in charge of optimising the performance of the machines and preventing time loss due to technical problems.
Q: How big are the buildings which house the VLT´s telescopes?
A: The enclosures of the VLT Unit Telescopes are 25 metres high, about the same as an eight-floor building. Their very compact design makes them small in relation to the size of the telescope. The pathfinder project for many VLT technologies was the 3.5-metre NTT, which has been in operation at La Silla Observatory since 1989. The compact size of the NTT building can easily be compared with the much larger one of the ESO 3.6-metre Telescope, inaugurated at the same observatory in 1976. If the VLT Unit Telescopes were built to the design of the ESO 3.6-metre building, a dome 68 metres in diameter and a building almost 100 metres high would be needed! This will be roughly the size of the ELT enclosure.
Q: Do earthquakes represent a threat for the VLT?
A: The VLT is designed with anti-seismic technology, specially chosen to protect the most delicate components of the telescopes. If there is a strong earthquake (more than magnitude 7) a special system is automatically activated, anchoring the primary mirror to the cell. This prevents it from falling, breaking, or causing damage to the structure. During its lifetime, Paranal Observatory has experienced frequent minor seismic events and a few significant earthquakes, and the anti-seismic technology has passed each test with flying colours.
Q: What are the VLT´s primary mirrors made of?
A: The VLT primary mirrors are made of a special glass-ceramic with almost no thermal expansion, called Zerodur, which has an opaque-beige appearance. The reflective surface is a layer of aluminium only 80 nanometres thick. If we were to scale the mirror to the diameter of the Earth, this aluminium layer would still be only 12 cm thick.
Q: How do you keep the VLT mirrors clean?
A: As the telescopes are open to the sky during the whole night, the mirrors accumulate dust on their surface, losing reflectivity. They therefore need to be cleaned from time to time. The cleaning is a very delicate operation that takes place every 18 months and involves removing the aluminium by chemical washing and then recoating the mirror.
Q: How much aluminium is needed to cover the surface of the VLT´s mirrors?
A: The amount of aluminium needed to coat a single VLT primary mirror is about 12 grams, which is less than the amount in a soft drink can. Although the layer covers the whole of the mirror's 8.2-metre diameter, it is spread only 80 nanometres thick.
Q: Could the VLT take a picture of the Moon-landing sites?
A: Yes, but the images would not be detailed enough to show the equipment left behind by the astronauts. Using its adaptive optics system, the VLT has already taken one of the sharpest ever images of the lunar surface as seen from Earth: http://www.eso.org/public/news/eso0222/. However, the smallest details visible in this image are still about one hundred metres on the surface of the Moon, while the parts of the lunar modules which are left on the Moon are less than 10 metres in size. A telescope 200 metres in diameter would be needed to show them. Although the VLT, when used as an interferometer (VLTI), reaches the same equivalent resolution, it cannot be used to observe the Moon. You may be wondering whether the Hubble Space Telescope would have better luck. In fact, while a space telescope is not affected by the atmosphere of the Earth, it is not substantially closer to the Moon. Also, the Hubble is smaller than the VLT, so it isn't able to obtain images that show the surface of the Moon with higher resolution. The sharpest images of the lunar landers have been taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter: Apollo Landing Sites Revisited.
Q: Why is the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT) at La Silla called the New Technology Telescope?
A: Inaugurated in 1989, the 3.58-metre New Technology Telescope (NTT) broke new ground for telescope engineering and design: the altazimuth mounting and the very compact enclosure result in a much smaller and more functional building than could have been achieved with the traditional housing, for a telescope of the same size. The design of the building also incorporates an innovative thermal control and ventilation system, to prevent the degradation of the image due to local turbulence. The NTT was the first telescope in the world to have a computer-controlled main mirror (active optics), a technology developed at ESO and now applied to most of the world's current large telescopes. The purpose of the active optics system is to maintain the perfect shape of the main mirror, compensating for the action of gravity on it.
Q: What kind of planets can the spectrograph HARPS see?
A: HARPS does not directly "see" planets. It detects them indirectly, measuring the velocity at which a star wobbles because of the gravitational pull of one or more orbiting planets. By measuring and analysing these variations in velocity, astronomers can calculate the mass and the orbits of the planets around a star. The less massive the planet, the tinier the effect it produces on the star, and the more precise the instrument needed to detect it is. HARPS is able to detect movements at velocities of just a metre per second — the speed of a person walking — in a star hundreds of light-years away. This has allowed planets only a few times more massive than the Earth to be discovered. HARPS is currently the most powerful exoplanet hunter in the world.
Q: How does the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) work?
A: The power of the VLT Interferometer does not come from adding the light beams from the individual telescopes to gather more light. Instead, the light waves are made to interfere with each other to produce patterns of light and dark fringes, a little like the way ripples on water can combine to produce either bigger waves or cancel to produce calm water. This technique is called interferometry. The fringes give us information about the structure of the observed object, but they are not an image of it. If an image is needed, it must be reconstructed by mathematically combining the information from many sets of fringes. However, many important scientific questions can be answered without making an image of an object. For the interferometry to work, the light waves must be combined very precisely using a complex system of mirrors in underground tunnels. The paths along which the light travels must be kept accurate to a fraction of the wavelength of the light, to control the phase of the waves. The accuracy required in positioning the mirrors is less than 1/1000 mm over a hundred metres. Thanks to this technological feat, the VLTI can reconstruct images with an angular resolution of 2 milliarcseconds, and allow astronomers to see details up to 16 times finer than with the individual VLT Unit Telescopes.
Q: What is the maximum resolution of a telescope array, or interferometer?
A: For a telescope array, or interferometer, the resolution (the finest details it can distinguish) depends on the separation of the individual elements of the array. The resolution improves as the separation of the elements increases, which is why widely spread interferometer arrays are important for high resolution observations. This is different from a single telescope, where the resolution depends instead on the diameter of the individual telescope (see previous FAQ).
The angular size θ (measured in radians) of the smallest details that the array can distinguish is given by θ≈λ/B, where λ is the wavelength of the light and B the maximum "baseline", the separation between a pair of elements in the array. This expression can be compared with the equivalent one for a single telescope of θ≈λ/D, where D is the diameter of the telescope. In other words, the interferometer can be thought of as having the resolution of a single telescope as large as the whole array.
For example, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) will have maximum baselines between antennas of about 16 kilometres. When observing at wavelengths of 1 millimetre, ALMA's effective resolution will be around 13 milliarcseconds, or less than four millionths of a degree.
Q: How many people work for the VLT on Paranal?
A: 242 full time equivalents (FTE), and out of these 174 FTEs work on Paranal (2011). These figures cover VLT operations related activities - Paranal operations, upgrades, end-to-end science support, dataflow and control software (2011 figures).
Q: What is its annual budget for the VLT (excluding personnel)?
A: The annual budget is 16.9 million EUR without personnel costs (2011 figure).
Q: How much did it cost to build the VLT?
A: In excess of 330 million EUR were spent in ESO Member States for the construction of the VLT, which started operations in 1999 (UT1). This excludes personnel costs within ESO itself.
Q: How is energy produced at ESO's Observatories?
A: Energy production is one of the most difficult parts of setting up a remote observatory. At first the electrical power at Paranal was produced on site by using multi-fuel turbines working in "island mode", i.e. not connected to a grid. However, Paranal was connected to the Chilean electricity grid in 2017. As the site is so remote, 130 kilometres from Antofagasta and in the middle of the Atacama Desert, the connection to the grid presented significant challenges; but it was successfully completed thanks to the efforts of over 300 workers. The completed project includes a 66-kilovolt transmission system 50 kilometres long and two new substations. This connection reduces the carbon footprint of the Paranal and Armazones sites, as they no longer use fossil fuels in generators to provide power.
In 2022, ESO and the Saesa Group inaugurated the Paranal-Armazones photovoltaic plant, which will supply renewable energy to ESO's Paranal Observatory and, soon, to the construction and operation of ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), the largest optical telescope in the world.
The La Silla photovoltaic plant, inaugurated in 2016, has capacity to produce 1.7 MW of power and avoids the emission of up to 400 tCO2e/yr. As a result, all electricity used at ESO's La Silla Observatory during the day is renewable. The plant exploits solar energy through the use of solar panels that cover an area of more than 100 000 square metres on the La Silla site.
Q: What makes the VISTA mirror so special?
A: VISTA is the largest telescope in the world dedicated to surveying the sky at near-infrared wavelengths. Its primary mirror is 4.1 metres in diameter and is the most highly curved of its size. The extremely high curvature reduces the focal length, and significantly widens the field of view, enabling VISTA to map large areas of the sky. At the same time, the large collecting surface allows VISTA to detect faint objects, seeing deep into space. Manufacturing a single mirror with these dimensions and characteristics is a formidable accomplishment.
Q: What do the survey telescopes add to the VLT?
A: By mapping large areas of the sky, the survey telescopes create vast archives of images and catalogues of objects, also providing interesting targets to be studied in more detail by the VLT itself. With their respective 67- and 268-megapixel cameras, VISTA and the VST will produce far more data every night than all the other instruments on the VLT combined.


text:
Katy Perry Dedicates 'Peacock' Performance to Tim Tebow, Flirts With Cam Newton
You've got to hand it to Katy Perry — even in the midst of what must be a painful divorce, she's still managing to have fun with the rumors surrounding her love life, and flirting with some of the NFL's most eligible bachelors in the bargain.
As you're no doubt already aware, Katy has recently been linked to Tim Tebow, via a rumor suggesting that her minister parents would like to see her rebound from soon-to-be ex-hubby Russell Brand by hooking up (chastely, no doubt) with the openly religious Denver Broncos quarterback. Katy winked at these rumors during her pre-Super Bowl performance in Indianapolis over the weekend, reportedly dedicating her performance of the racy 'Teenage Dream' track 'Peacock' (sample lyric: "Let me see your Peacock") to Tebow.
Also over the weekend, Katy presented an award at this year's NFL Honors ceremony, and used her time at the podium to flirt with Tebow — who was sitting in the front row — by telling him, "Hey Tim, my parents say hi."
But Katy wasn't finished yet. After presenting an NFL Honors award to Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Perry posed with him for a photo, and was heard to quip, "You'll be the first straight man I've had a photo with in a long time, so live up to it."
Newton took it in stride, responding simply, "I am."
Katy probably has other things on her mind besides dating NFL stars, but it was still nice to see her having fun — and showing a sense of humor about all the post-divorce gossip swirling around her. If you had to choose between Tebow and Newton for the new man in Katy's life, which one would you pick?
Watch Katy Perry Perform 'Teenage Dream' at Super Bowl Pre-Show
Watch Katy Perry Perform 'Hot 'N Cold' at Super Bowl Pre-Show


text:
دفعہ نمبر 132: ملکیت میں تصرف شارع کی اجازت سے مشروط ہے، خواہ یہ تصرف خرچ کرنے سے متعلق ہو یا ملکیت کی نشوونما کے حوالے سے ہو۔ چنانچہ اسراف، نمودو نمائش ، کنجوسی، سرمایہ دار کمپنیاں، کو آپریٹو سو سائٹیز اور تمام خلاف ِ شرع معاملات ممنوع ہیں۔ اسی طرح سود، غبن فاحش(ٹھگی)،ذخیرہ اندوزی ، جوا اور اس جیسی دیگر چیزیں سبھی ممنوع ہیں۔
Article 132: The disposal of property is restricted by the permission of the Legislator (swt), for both of spending and investment. Squandering, extravagance and miserliness are all forbidden. Capitalist companies, co-operatives and any other type of transactions which contradict the Shari'ah are forbidden. Interest, fraud, monopolies, gambling and anything similar are all forbidden.
The evidence for this is the evidence regarding spending wealth and the evidence of verbal disposals of wealth such as selling, renting and so on, which are the evidences regarding increasing property.
As for the evidence of expenditure, Allah (swt) said:
((لِيُنْفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِنْ سَعَتِهِ)) [الطلاق 7]، وقال تعـالى في النهي عن الإسراف: ((وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِين)) [الأنعام]، وقال: ((وَلَا تُبَذِّرْ تَبْذِيرًا (26) إِنَّ الْمُبَذِّرِينَ كَانُوا إِخْوَانَ الشَّيَاطِينِ)) [الإسراء]، وقال في النهي عن التقتير:((وَالَّذِينَ إِذَا أَنْفَقُوا لَمْ يُسْرِفُوا وَلَمْ يَقْتُرُوا وَكَانَ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ قَوَامًا (67)))
"Let a man of wealth spend from his wealth." (TMQ 65:7).
Regarding the prohibition of squandering, Allah (swt) said: "And be not excessive (extravagant). Indeed, He does not like those who commit excess." (TMQ 7:31), and He (swt) said: "And do not spend wastefully; Indeed, the wasteful are brothers of the devils." (TMQ 17:26-7).
With respect to the prohibition of miserliness, Allah (swt) said: "And [they are] those who, when they spend, do so not excessively or sparingly but are ever, between that, [justly] moderate." (TMQ 25:67).
With respect to verbal disposals, the Legislator (swt) restricted them to specific transactions, such as selling, rent, partnership, and so on, and specified the manner they should be undertaken and prohibited any other method. The Prophet said:
«مَنْ عَمِلَ عَمَلاً لَيْسَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُنَا فَهُوَ رَدٌّ»
"If anyone introduces in our matter something which does not belong to it, it is rejected." (reported by Muslim from Aisha(ra)). So this is a restriction that the transactions have to be carried out upon a specific method, and a clear prohibition of specific transactions, which is that the transactions to increase wealth are restricted to that which is in accordance with the permission of the Legislator (swt).
There are actions which have been ordered to be undertaken based upon a specific restricted form, and the Shari'ah texts related conditions for the concluding of a transaction and conditions for its validity in a decisive manner. Therefore, to carry out this transaction upon the form that has been explained by the Shari'ah text is obligatory, and it should fulfil all the conditions for contraction and the validity that were mentioned in the Shari'ahtext. If it was undertaken in a manner which contradicts the text or does not fulfil all the conditions for contraction and validity, then it has contradicted the Shari'ah, and it would either be invalid if the conditions on contraction were not met, or defective if it contradicted anything that the Shari'ah ordered or prohibited. This would be a contradiction against the Shari'ah, in other words, a contradiction of the orders and prohibitions of Allah (swt), which is sinful since it is considered to be something that the Shari'ah forbade.
An example of that is the Shari'ahcontract: the Legislator (swt) ordered that it should be between two contracting parties; the Prophet said:
«الْبَيِّعَانِ بِالْخِيَارِ»
"The two parties to a transaction both have the choice." (agreed upon from Ibn Umar and Hakim Bin Hizam), and Allah (swt) said in a Qudsi narration:
«أَنَا ثَالِثُ الشَّرِيكَيْنِ»
"I make a third with two partners." (reported by Abu Dawud from Abu Hurayrah, and he authenticated it and Al-Dhahabi confirmed it). And He (swt) ordered the contract to be upon offer and acceptance. So if the contract in any transaction does not fulfil these conditions: two contracting parties along with offer and acceptance, the contract is invalid and not concluded. Any action which occurred in this transaction is considered as a sin and a Haram action, since it would be considered a transaction that the Shari'ah had forbidden. An example of that would be the share companies, since they are concluded from one side, and by someone simply signing to the conditions of the company they become a partner and also by simply buying shares in the company they become a partner. According to the capitalists this is from the actions of individual choice, like an endowment or bequest in Islam. So in the share company there are not two contracting parties but rather there is only one party, and there is no offer and acceptance - rather there is acceptance alone. In the Shari'ah the company must be based upon a contract of offer and acceptance between two contracting parties, and similar to it is selling, renting, marriage and any other comparable contracts. Accordingly, the share company is not contracted and so is invalid and Haram, since it contradicts the Shari'ah and is considered to be prohibited by it. The share company neglected the order of Allah (swt) with respect to the conditions of contracting a company, and is an action that Allah (swt) prohibited since He (swt) prohibited people from contradicting His (swt) orders:
((فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ))
"So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet's order." (TMQ 24:63). Therefore, establishing such a company would be committing a sin and a Haram action, and so it is from the transactions forbidden by the Shari'ah because every invalid contract is Haram.
In a similar fashion, life insurance, or any insurance for goods or property is Haram, since it is a contract between the insurance company and the insuring person in which the latter asks the insurance company to give him a promise that it will compensate him for that object which he loses or for its price with regard to goods or property, or a certain sum of money with regard to life and the like such as insurance for a limb. This takes place if the accident which was specified occurs within a defined period in exchange for a certain amount of money. In insurance there is no person being guaranteed, nor a joining of liabilities, since there is no person present who the company guaranteed and joined their liability to. Also in insurance there is no financial obligation for the believer with anyone that the insurance company committed him to, since the believer did not have a financial obligation to anyone, and then the company came and guaranteed him. Insurance is a guarantee, and the guarantee according to the Shari'ah is the joining of the liability of the guarantor with that of the one being guaranteed to fulfil the obligation, and so it is imperative that there should be a joining of liabilities, and there must be a guarantor, someone being guaranteed, and the issue that he is being guaranteed for, and it is imperative that it is a guarantee for a confirmed obligation they are liable for. These are the conditions for contraction and validity in the guarantee, and as long as the insurance contract does not fulfil these Shari'ah conditions then it is invalid according to the Shari'ah and is Haram. Therefore, to take out insurance is committing a sin and a Haram action and consequently is a transaction that the Shari'ah prohibited because every invalid transaction is Haram.
These actions such as partnerships and guarantees have been restricted to a specific manner and specific conditions explained by Shari'ah texts, and so it is obligatory to be bound to them, and this is proof that the actions to increase property are restricted by the permission of the Legislator (swt).
There are actions which have had direct prohibitions related, such as fraud, due to what was narrated from Abdullah Bin Umar (ra) that a man mentioned to the Prophet that he had been cheated in a sale, so he said:
((فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ))
"When you enter a transaction, say, "No trickery." (agreed upon from Ibn Umar). And he said:
«بَيْعُ الْمُحَفَّلاَتِ خِلاَبَةٌ وَلاَ تَحِلُّ الْخِلاَبَةُ لِمُسْلِمٍ»
"Selling Muhaffalahs (unmilked animals) (to deceive the buyer) is trickery, and trickery is not lawful for the Muslim" (reported by Ahmad and Ibn Maja from Abdullah Bin Mas'ud, and Ibn Abi Shaybah and 'Abd Al-Razzaq reported it Mawquf (the chain ends at the companion) to Ibn Mas'ud with an authentic chain). Accordingly fraud is Haram, as well as actions like monopolising, due to the words of the Prophet :
«مَنْ احْتَكَرَ فَهُوَ خَاطِئٌ»
"Whoever monopolises is in error", (reported by Muslim from Mu'ammar b. 'Abd Allah Al-'Adawi), and like gambling due to the words of Allah (swt):
((يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا إِنَّمَا الْخَمْرُ وَالْمَيْسِرُ وَالْأَنْصَابُ وَالْأَزْلَامُ رِجْسٌ مِنْ عَمَلِ الشَّيْطَانِ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ (90))) [المائدة]. وكالربا لقوله تعالى: ((وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا))
"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful." (TMQ 5:90). Similarly, interest, due to words of Allah (swt): "But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest (Usury)." (TMQ 2:275). This clear prohibition for these actions and those similar to them is a restriction upon how to conduct the increase in property, as it should not be done through these and similar transactions. This is another evidence that the action to increase property is restricted by the permission of the Legislator (swt).